Amazing Spider-Man Family #3

[michaelyuri]

Amazing Spider-Man Family #3

Story #1: The Punch
Writer: J.M. DeMatteis
Pencils: Val Semeiks
Inkers: Lanning/Olazaba/Justice


Characters appearing:
Liz Allen, Principal Davis, Ben Parker (FB only), May Parker, Spider-Man (& FB), Flash Thompson


Synopsis:
1-3p4: In school, Peter accidentally bumps into Flash, knocking Flash's books onto the ground. Flash threatens to punch Peter, but Principal Davis intervenes. Peter imagines what he could do to Flash if he wanted to.

3p5-8: A rough-looking guy named Bobby Grillo leaves home in a bad mood. Spider-Man is swinging around looking for crimes to stop. Bobby sticks up a convenience store. Spider-man swings in and punches him, sending him flying. When he sees that Bobby is badly hurt, Spidey yells for an ambulance.

9-13p2: In the hospital, Bobby's mother lectures him for being so stupid to try to rob a store with an unloaded gun. Spider-Man is outside eavesdropping. When Bobby spots Spidey through the window, he freaks out. Peter is surprised to learn that the gun was unloaded, and disappointed with himself for overreacting. Peter takes out his frustrations by punching things in an abandoned building.

13p3-14p3: At home, May tells Peter that she was okay with him staying home from school for a few days, but that he needs to face up to what's troubling him.

14p4-16p1: Back at school, Flash picks on Peter. He is tempted to fight back, but remembers how he hurt Bobby Grillo. At home, Peter throws down his costume and decides to stop being Spider-Man.

16p2-18p6: Bobby's mother tries to apologize to him for not being a good mother, but he storms out in anger.

18p7-20p5: Peter's working on his homework, when May comes in with a box of Ben's old action movie videocasettes. Peter starts watching some of the movies and reminisces about watching movies with Ben. His memories of Uncle Ben spur him to go out as Spider-Man again.

20p6-28p3: Spider-Man shows up at Grillo's apartment to try to make amends. Bobby's mother tells Spidey that Bobby has left, and Spidey goes looking for him. Meanwhile, Bobby has bought a gun, intending to rob a store for some money and then leave town. While Spidey is swinging across town, he sees a cable on a crane snap, and the crane begins to fall. Peter desperately tries to prevent the crane from falling as the crowd of people below, including Bobby Grillo, run for safety. Finally, Spider-Man can't hold on any longer and the crane comes crashing down. Spider-Man apologizes to the rescue workers for failing, but they tell him that he saved everyone. Bobby Grillo, inspired by Spider-Man's actions, throws his gun into a sewer grate and calls his mother from a payphone.

28p4-30: Peter runs into Flash on the sidewalk. Flash makes fun of him, Peter sticks up for himself, and the two part ways.


Flashbacks:
(19p6-20p3) A younger (maybe 10 years old?) Peter sits with Uncle Ben on the couch watching an action movie. Ben tells Peter that while action movies are fun, in the real world being a hero isn't just about punching people.


Continuity Notes:
I have no idea how well this will fit with Peter's existing chronology, but here's how this story breaks down:

(1-13p2) According to Peter's thought narration, it's been about two weeks since Ben's death. At one point, Peter thinks, "It's not like I have some magical power that warns me of danger!" which presumably places this story before Peter learned about his spider-sense.

(13p3-16p1) There's a gap of a few days where Peter stays home from school between 13p2 & 13p3. These scenes take place one evening and the following day.

(16p2-28p3) This takes place on a Friday. It's at least a few days later, and Peter has not been going out as Spider-Man.

(28p4-30) Saturday, the next day.

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Story #2: Common Ground! [MC-2]
Writer: Tom DeFalco
Artist: Todd Nauck


Characters appearing:
Rhino/Aleksei Sytsevich (& FB), Spider-Girl, Spider-Man (& FB), Burya Sytsevich (FB only), Yulya Sytsevich (& FB), Anna Watson, Mary Jane Watson-Parker


Synopsis:
(1-10) The Parker family are waiting in the emergency room, because baby May is sick. Aleksei Sytsevich (aka the Rhino) comes in with his sick aunt. Peter immediately recognizes him, and he recognizes Peter as Spider-man's photographer. The two talk about how hard they have it looking out for their families.


Flashbacks:
(8:5) Spider-Man stands by and lets a burglar escape. No new information.

(9:2) Flashback montage: Aleksei's uncle is taken away by the secret police. Aleksei becomes a mob enforcer and later the Rhino.


Continuity Notes:
There are no great placement clues. May is drawn signicantly younger than in the other ASMF stories, (small swaddled infant vs. bigger baby crawling and sitting up), so I'm placing this story first.


Chronology Entries:
*Rhino/Aleksei Sytsevich
*ASMF 3/2-FB (9:2)
*ASMF 3/2

Spider-Girl/May "Mayday" Parker
. . .
SG 48-FB (19:1)
SG 49-FB (14:3-14:4)
*ASMF 3/2
ASMF 1/3-FB
ASMF 1/3
. . .

Spider-Man/Peter Parker
. . .
SMF 1-FB (4-9)
SG 44-FB (15:3)
*ASMF 3/2
ASMF 1/3-FB
ASMF 1/3
. . .

*Sytsevich, Burya
*ASMF 3/2-FB (9:2)

*Sytsevich, Yulya
*ASMF 3/2-FB (9:2)
*ASMF 3/2

Watson, Anna
ASG 0-FB (2:2)
*ASMF 3/2
ASMF 2/2

Watson-Parker, Mary Jane
. . .
SG 48-FB (9:2, 10:5-10:6, 19:1)
SG 49-FB (14:3-14:4)
*ASMF 3/2
ASMF 1/3-FB
ASMF 1/3
. . .

------------------------------

Story #3: The Amazing Spider-Ma'am [non-canon]
Writer: Abby Denson
Artist: Colleen Coover


Characters appearing:
May Parker, Rhino, Spider-Man


Synopsis:
(1-8) May is home alone, when some burglars break into her home. May hides in a closet. She sees Peter's Spider-Man costume and puts it on. She sets up a bunch of "Home Alone"-style booby traps and then jumps out as Spider-Man to scare them away. A final gag panel has Spider-Man fighting the Rhino the next day. The Rhino says Spider-Man smells like his grandmother's perfume.


Continuity Notes:
In the table of contents, this story is explicitly labeled as an "alternate reality".

------------------------------

Story #4: Bridge and Tunnel
By: Moore, Semeiks, Irwin, Mossa, Sharpe


Characters appearing:
Spider-Man


Synopsis:
(1-5) Spider-Man is hitching a ride home from Brooklyn on the top of a train. He climbs into the train, and runs into a fugitive, Ronnie "Rabbit" Shatzkin, who he has been looking for for months. Ronnie flees, climbing onto the roof of the train. Spider-Man follows and saves him when he falls off.


Continuity Notes:
The story is labeled December 17th, 2:49am.

This story seems to be in current Brand New Day continuity. Peter is single. He mentions his troubles with the transit system, including his "recent scuffle with the Shocker."

------------------------------

Story #5: Reprint of Spectacular Spider-Man #200
PPTSS 200 is already in the MCP

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[Paul Bourcier]

Thanks for the analysis, Mike. Based on your notes regarding how long the first story occurred after Ben's death, I'd say ASMF 3 occurs between AAF 16 and 17. AAF 16 shows Ben's funeral a few days after his death; AAF 17 begins "a few weeks" after Ben's death. The first depiction of Peter's spider-sense does occur later, in ASM 1/2.

The reference to the Shocker in ASMF 3/4 is to ASM 578-579. If the date is true, then this story occurs after the mayoral election we haven't yet seen in ASM.